Crispy Buffalo Chicken Wings (Printable Version)
Golden, crispy wings coated in tangy buffalo sauce served with a cool blue cheese dip.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken Wings
01 - 3.3 lbs chicken wings, separated into flats and drumettes
02 - 2 tbsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
03 - 1 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1 tsp garlic powder
05 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
→ Buffalo Sauce
06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
07 - 1/2 cup hot sauce (e.g., Franks RedHot)
08 - 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar (optional, for sweetness)
→ Blue Cheese Dip
09 - 3.5 oz blue cheese, crumbled
10 - 1/2 cup sour cream
11 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
12 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
13 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ To Serve
15 - Celery sticks
16 - Carrot sticks
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Lightly grease the rack with cooking spray or oil.
02 - Pat chicken wings thoroughly dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, combine baking powder, kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add wings and toss until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange wings in a single layer on the prepared wire rack. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy with an internal temperature of 165°F.
04 - While wings bake, melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in hot sauce and honey or brown sugar (if using) until completely smooth and combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
05 - In a medium bowl, combine crumbled blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and minced garlic. Mix thoroughly, mashing some of the blue cheese against the bowl side for a smoother consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
06 - Transfer cooked wings to a large heatproof bowl. Pour prepared buffalo sauce over the wings and toss gently but thoroughly to ensure even coating.
07 - Plate sauced wings alongside blue cheese dip with fresh celery and carrot sticks. Serve hot for optimal texture and flavor.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The baking powder trick creates restaurant quality crispiness without deep frying
- That homemade blue cheese dip puts anything store bought to absolute shame
- Perfect feeding a crowd since they vanish faster than you can plate them
02 -
- Air drying wings in the fridge uncovered for a few hours before cooking makes them noticeably crispier
- Let the wings rest about 5 minutes after saucing so the coating sticks instead of pooling at the bottom
- Room temperature wings bake more evenly than cold ones straight from the refrigerator
03 -
- Do not use baking soda instead of baking powder or your wings will taste unpleasantly metallic
- Letting the coated wings sit for 15 minutes before baking helps the seasoning adhere better
- Line your baking sheet with foil for effortless cleanup afterwards